Canadians change plans as U.S. grounds flights

A traveller looks at an Air Canada plane as he waits for his flight at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Friday Dec. 23, 2023. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

The arrivals and departures board at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport showed just a few red lines indicating cancelled flights on Saturday.

Canadian airlines noted some delays, but the disruptions remained small. Even so many passengers prepared for how problems in the U.S. might affect their travel plans.

"Passing through the U.S. right now feels scary," said passenger Montsarrat Perez-Gamboa, who was on her way to Chile. "I tried to avoid it, but had no other choice, since we don't have a direct flight from Montreal to Santiago. We have to go through the U.S."

Over 1,000 flights across the United States were grounded on Saturday adding to the 1,000 cancelled on Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered this slowdown saying it wanted to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers working without pay during the government shutdown. Controllers have been calling in sick at record levels.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported an increase in pilot complaints about stress among air traffic controllers and their lack of responsiveness.

The FAA's order to cut traffic doesn't affect international flights, including those between Canada and the U.S. However, experts and airlines expect it to have an impact.

Air Canada told CTV News on Saturday, "We stick to our normal schedule, but our transborder flights have faced some delays. A small number of these have led to cancellations."

WestJet said it had some operational delays most lasting less than 30 minutes.

"WestJet has changed some flight routes to avoid certain airspace. This aims to reduce more problems with operations," the company said in a statement.

Porter Airlines reported no unusual delays or cancellations by noon Saturday.

It asked passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. The airline also said, "We offer free changes to some U.S. flights through Monday, if seats are available, for those with flexible schedules."

All airlines say they are keeping an eye on the situation. They expect more flights might face issues in the future.